% File src/library/utils/man/RSiteSearch.Rd
% Part of the R package, http://www.R-project.org
% Copyright 1995-2009 R Core Development Team
% Distributed under GPL 2 or later

\name{RSiteSearch}
\alias{RSiteSearch}
\title{
  Search for Key Words or Phrases in the R-help Mailing List Archives
  or Documentation
}
\description{
  Search for key words or phrases in the R-help mailing list
  archives, help pages, vignettes or task views, using the search engine
  at \url{http://search.r-project.org} and view them in a web browser.
}
\usage{
RSiteSearch(string,
            restrict = c("Rhelp08", "functions", "views"),
            format = c("normal", "short"),
            sortby = c("score", "date:late", "date:early",
                       "subject", "subject:descending",
                       "from", "from:descending",
                       "size", "size:descending"),
            matchesPerPage = 20)
}
\arguments{
  \item{string}{word(s) or phrase to search.  If the words are to be
    searched as one entity, enclose all words in braces (see example).}
  \item{restrict}{a character vector, typically of length larger than one:
    What areas to search in:
    \code{Rhelp08} for R-help mailing list archive from January 2008
    \code{Rhelp02} for mailing list archive 2002-2007
    \code{Rhelp01} for mailing list archive before 2002
    \code{R-devel} for R-devel mailing list
    \code{R-sig-mix} for R-devel mailing list    
    \code{functions} for help pages
    \code{views} for task views
    \code{vignettes} for package vignettes
    Use \code{c()} to specify more than one.}
  \item{format}{\code{normal} or \code{short} (no excerpts); can be
    abbreviated.}
  \item{sortby}{character string (can be abbreviated) indicating how to
    sort the search results:\cr
    (\code{score},
    \code{date:late} for sorting by date with latest results first,
    \code{date:early} for earliest first,
    \code{subject} for subject in alphabetical order,
    \code{subject:descending} for reverse alphabetical order,
    \code{from} or \code{from:descending} for sender (when applicable),
    \code{size} or \code{size:descending} for size.)}
  \item{matchesPerPage}{How many items to show per page.}
}
\value{
  (Invisibly) the complete URL passed to the browser,
  including the query string.
}
\details{
  This function is designed to work with the search site at
  \url{http://search.r-project.org}, and depends on that site
  continuing to be made available (thanks to Jonathan Baron and the
  School of Arts and Sciences of the University of Pennsylvania).

  Unique partial matches will work for all arguments.  Each new
  browser window will stay open unless you close it.
}
\author{Andy Liaw and Jonathan Baron}
\seealso{
  \code{\link{help.search}}, \code{\link{help.start}} for local searches.

  \code{\link{browseURL}} for how the help file is displayed.
}
\examples{\donttest{ # need Internet connection
RSiteSearch("{logistic regression}") # matches exact phrase
Sys.sleep(5) # allow browser to open, take a quick look
RSiteSearch("Baron Liaw", restrict = "Rhelp02")
## Search in R-devel archive and recent mail (and store the query-string):
Sys.sleep(5)
fullquery <- RSiteSearch("S4", restrict = c("R-dev", "Rhelp08"))
fullquery # a string of ~ 116 characters
## the latest purported bug reports, responses ...
%% FIXME: "/bug/ and other reg.exp.s seem to fail
Sys.sleep(5)
RSiteSearch("bug", restrict = "R-devel", sortby = "date:late")
}}
\keyword{utilities}
\keyword{documentation}
